Striped Life
by Harmony Valenka Smith
Summary: Tigger always thought that he was the only one, but he will find that not only is he not the only one, but his friends aren't either. This is rated T for intense scenes of some violence, blood, and romantic elements. Reader beware!
1. Chapter 1: More Than One Tigger

**This is a Winnie the Pooh FanFiction, but in case you haven't figured it out from the title, it's about Tigger, mostly. I do not own Winnie the Pooh at all, that's a Disney thing. I make no profit from this, this is just an experiment. When reading, keep in mind I am basing it mostly on the series: The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. We'll see how it goes.**

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Chapter 1: More Than One Tigger

Deep in Epping Forest, there was a great commotion going on. There was a storm on the way and some of the animals of the area decided they would move away. There was a rabbit, an owl, a gopher, a piglet, a donkey, a bear, and a creature that looked an awful lot like a tigger.

"She only _looked_ like a tigger because she _was_ a tigger, narrator, get it right!" exclaimed the tigger-like creature in a huff.

_It's not my fault, I am only here to tell the story. What are you doing moving away, exactly? Isn't this your home?_

"Of course it is our home, but it's not _home_. There's too much going on around here and I have decided, for the betterment of my friends, that I will remedy this situation," the creature said. "I would also appreciate it if from now on, you didn't narrate by calling me a creature."

_Well, what shall I call you then?_

"You can call me by my name, Tigretta. That's T-I-double Guh-ur-et-ah, that spells Tigretta. By the way, narrator, would you happen to know any place where it's nice and safe?"

_Well, there is a place in Sussex over in Ashdown Forest called the Hundred Acre Wood._

"Hmm, that's not far off, thanks, narrator. Perhaps you are useful after all."

_So, Tigretta and her multiple animal friends made their way through the storm and terrain to the Hundred Acre Wood. They arrived there in the dark of night and set up camp under a large tree._

_So, Tigretta, what now?_

"Well, we're going to set up camp here for the night, but in the morning we'll be looking for a more permanent place to stay as well as some food... you're not going to be narrating this whole time are you?" asked Tigretta suspiciously.

_I'll only come in and out when needed, to draw attention to things._

Tigretta sighed, "Very well." After that, she yawned and joined her friends in sleep.

Morning found Tigretta and her friends breaking camp and taking a walk, enjoying the countryside. "This is a nice place, Tigretta, m-m-maybe we can stay here?" asked the piglet, timidly.

"Perhaps, we should get a better idea on who our neighbors are first though. You never come to a forest devoid of life," Tigretta replied.

"Unless you go to the forest we just left... but then again, we are life, so maybe no forest can truly be devoid of life?" asked the bear.

"That's right, Winnie. So, we must be on our guard, there could be danger lurking behind _every_ leaf and _every_ boulder," said Tigretta dramatically. She stopped in her tracks and put up a hand to indicate to her friends to stop. "I smell another creature nearby, walk with light feet, girls, this could get tense." They all tip-toed toward the smell of the animal. They turned a corner and noticed a yellow rabbit working in a garden, humming away without the least care in the world.

"P-p-perhaps we should... go over and say 'hello'?" asked the piglet.

"Peony, would you mind looking at me for a second and tell me whether or not I look like I was born yesterday?" asked Tigretta tensely.

"Um... no, but, well, this is a different place and I thought..." said the piglet, Peony, as she moved the dirt on the ground with her feet.

"The rabbit wasn't the animal I smelled. If it was, I would have said, 'I smell a rabbit nearby,' but I didn't, did I? I said, 'I smell another _creature_ nearby.' When I say creature, you know I can only be referring to one thing."

Peony gasped. "D-d-danger?"

Peony's question was answered with a noise from the garden. An orange creature with black stripes bounced onto the rabbit in the garden, earning a lot of angry remarks from the pounced fluff-tail. "Hmm... Peony, I have an assignment for you," said Tigretta.

"Oh, d-d-dear," said Peony. Tigretta picked up Peony and threw her into the garden, right in the path of the rabbit and tigger, who were both upright now. The rabbit was yelling at the tigger, things having to do with 'Stay out,' 'Don't bounce me!' and the like. Little Peony was shaking to the bone and could only cower and shake in fear.

"Hey, what's this? It looks like Pigalet," said the tigger, picking up Peony.

"Hmm, speech impediment," said Tigretta to her friends in their hiding place.

"T-t-t... T-t-t..." said Peony, shaking in the tigger's hand.

"What's that, Piglet? We can't understand you," said the rabbit.

"T-t-t... T-t-t-t-TIGRETTA! HELP!" shouted Peony as loud as possible. Quick as a flash, Tigretta pounced from her hiding place and took Peony in her mouth. She glared at the tigger and growled lowly.

"Hey! Who are you and what are you doing to Pigalet?" asked the tigger. Tigretta stood her ground on all four of her limbs, moving about like a cat, never taking her eyes off of the tigger. After a moment, Tigretta noticed nothing was being done, so she put down Peony and nudged her in the direction of the bushes, where the rest of her friends were hiding.

"Why didn't you attack me?" asked Tigretta.

"I don't know, it looked almost as if you were protecting him," said the tigger.

"Him? You have her confused with someone else, that was Peony, a _girl_." Tigretta looked at the tigger up and down suspiciously. "And who might you be?"

"I'm Tigger, that's T-I-double guh-ur, that spells Tigger!" said the tigger enthusiastically, but his enthusiasm was wiped away almost instantly by the glare of mistrust coming from Tigretta.

Tigretta put out a hand and said, "I'm Tigretta, that's T-I-double guh-ur-et-ah, that spells Tigretta. I am a tigger as well, but you probably already guessed that."

"Another Tigger?" asked the rabbit. He made a few noises before fainting.

"What's going on? I thought I heard someone call for h-h-help," said a piglet running up. There was also a bear, an owl, a donkey, and a gopher trailing behind the piglet.

"Well, isn't this a mirrored opposite," said Tigretta quietly.

"Whoa! Wh-wh-what is that?" asked the piglet, pointing at Tigretta.

"By my calculations..." said the owl, looking over both Tigretta and Tigger. "We have found another Tigger."

"Okay, would you mind giving me some space, feather boy? Just how many animals are in this forest?" asked Tigretta.

"Well, there's us... and that's pretty much all I can think of," said the bear, tapping his head in thought.

"Oh..." Tigretta put her face in one hand, exasperated.

"Yeah, and she didn't come alone either," said Tigger.

Tigretta sighed. There seemed to her to be no other alternative. "Come out, girls, I don't think we have much to hide from here." Out of the bushes came Tigretta's friends, and soon, introductions were underway. "I'm Tigretta, that's T-I-double guh-ur-et-ah, that spells Tigretta; and this is Winnie the Pooh bear, but we just call her Winnie for short; this is Peony, she's a piglet; this is Rhoda, she's a rabbit; this is Elinor, she's a donkey; this is Olive, she's an owl; and this is Gina, she's a gopher."

"Well, I'm Tigger, that's T-I-double guh-ur, that spells Tigger; that's Winnie the Pooh, who we call Pooh; that's Piglet; that's Rabbit; that's Eeyore; that's Owl; and that's Gopher," Tigger introduced himself and his friends.

"Over half of them are named for what they are," Tigretta whispered to her friends, to which they giggled.

"So, where did you all come from?" asked Rabbit, who had since recovered from his faint and was up and moving again.

"We came from Epping Forest, over in Essex. We were told this would be a good place to stay, but I can see we'll have to keep looking," said Tigretta.

"Oh, please, stay. I'm sorry about the misunderstanding earlier, just please, don't go," said Tigger, sounding insistent.

"All right, but this isn't going to be permanent, I'm sure. We'll stay for now, but if I even get an inkling that my friends and I are not safe here in this environment, around your friends, around _you_, we're _gone_. Is that clear?" asked Tigretta.

"Oh, yeah, sure, that's clear," Tigger said, gulping.

"Very well then, we'll be around," said Tigretta. She and her friends walked away, leaving Tigger and his friends to wonder how safe _they_ were around these new animals.

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**All right, here it is! It will get more interesting from here, don't worry. So, what did you think of the characters (The OCs)? Also, please keep reading and reviewing :)**


	2. Chapter 2: Why Bouncing is Forbidden

**Hey guys, for the few of you who have read this, please spread the word about this FanFic. I'm sure there are others who would want to read something like this. Anyway, that's all, please read :)**

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Chapter 2: Why Bouncing is Forbidden

Tigretta

_I used to like bouncing. That's what tiggers were born to do. We love bouncing on our tails. It is far superior to walking or any other means of travel. However, long ago, back home... bouncing became perverted, vile, nothing good in my mind. I won't go into the details. I just wish I didn't have to be in a place with another tigger that enjoyed bouncing so much._

_Tigger is... well, I don't know what other tiggers are like since I was the only one for the longest time. All I knew was that I was a tigger, nothing else. I didn't think there could possibly be another like me. I thought I was the only one. Seeing Tigger really made me think though. He's so full of energy, life, light; things I lost long ago. Things I think I will never get back._

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Narrator

Tigretta sighed heavily as she paused her writing, pen hovering above the paper. She had long ago learned to be literate, as well as the rest of her friends. This was Tigretta's escape, her way of getting out of her head by letting her head out. She closed the journal she had been writing in and looked out the window at the beautiful summer day. She could actually hear the birds singing and see peace permeating the atmosphere.

"Well... I might as well try to enjoy it," said Tigretta, getting up. She and her friends had found a tree that looked like a furnished home. This was where it was unanimously decided they would live. Tigretta stepped outdoors and took a deep breath of the sweet, fresh air. _The air was certainly never this clean back home,_ Tigretta thought. She walked on the grass, feeling it between her toes. She loved this feeling. It felt like peace and freedom from the oppression she had been enduring for so many years back home.

"Why, hello, Tigretta, fancy seeing you here," said Pooh, walking up and chuckling to himself.

"Hello, Pooh. How are you?" Tigretta asked.

"Well, you see, I'm out of honey and I was wondering if you would by chance have any that I could borrow?"

"I don't see how a pooh bear can borrow something that they eat and expect to give it back in the same condition. You should be asking me if I have any honey which you could _have_."

"Well... do you?"

Tigretta sighed. "Talk to Winnie about honey, she keeps track of that better than I do."

"Oh, thank you, Tigretta, I shall do just that."

"Pooh, I would express caution around my friends and keep a good distance. If you get too close to them, I will make sure you never have the chance to get that close again. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Miss Tigretta."

"You may go."

Tigretta had learned to be harsh, critical, and stiff. She knew that if she let down her guard one moment, bad things would happen. She had made a promise to herself long ago to keep her and her friends safe.

"Good morning, Tigretta," said Tigger, bouncing up.

"Hello, Tigger," Tigretta said simply.

"I was wondering since you and I were both Tiggers that maybe you'd like to go bouncing with me. I figured two tiggers are better than one for bouncing." Tigger laughed with a 'hoo hoo hoo' after this statement.

"Bouncing? Bouncing?! Let's get one thing straight, Tigger, I don't bounce. Bouncing is forbidden," said Tigretta, turning away.

"_Forbidden_? But _why_?" asked Tigger sadly.

"Let me tell you..." Tigretta turned in a circle and soon everything became black except her and Tigger. They were neon orange with invisible stripes, since the black blended in with the background. Tigretta's eyes were glowing a bright yellow where her pupils weren't and she began singing. "_Bouncing used to be fun. Bouncing used to be joy. I'd bounce high and low, from here to there, and pretty much everywhere, but one fateful day it came to be bouncing was forbidden._"

The entire background went dark for a moment before Tigger's neon silhouette re-appeared and Tigretta's voice continued in the background. "_You don't know a thing about the horrors we have come from. There's heffalumps and woozles and most of all jagulars!_" As Tigretta named off the animals, their neon silhouettes appeared. The heffalump was pink with orange eyes and huge teeth. The woozle was red and had red eyes with black pupils. The jagular was bigger than the woozle and the heffalump. It was surrounded by a dark blue line, marking its figure in a silhouette. It showed yellow eyes with black pupils and had blinding white teeth.

After Tigretta had sung this part, the jagular gave a horrible roar. It disappeared, along with the light.

When the light came on again, Tigretta's friends had joined her. Rhoda, the rabbit, sang, "_The jagular is famous not just for his sharp teeth and soul-destroying eyes. __The jagular is famous for perverting what tiggers are most famous for._"

"_The jagular bounces helpless creatures in the dark of night,_" sang Olive, the owl.

"_The jagular causes everyone quite a fright,_" sang Peony, the piglet.

"_The jagular causes nothing but sorrow and pain,_" sang Elinor, the donkey.

"_You can say that again,_" sang Gina, the gopher.

"_And so you see... because of what the jagular has done to me... I have taken it upon myself to write the law..._" As Tigretta sang this, she rose higher and higher on a great pillar. When she said law, she held a document in her hand that she unrolled. When she did, it went past Tigger's feet and around him. "_Bouncing is forbidden._"

"_No bouncing! No bouncing!_" sang all of Tigretta's friends.

"_That is why bouncing is forbidden,_" sang Tigretta.

"_No bouncing! No bouncing!_" Tigretta's friends sang.

"_That is why it's plain to see, bouncing is forbidden!_" Tigretta dragged out 'forbidden' and when she finished, she gave a small, defensive growl that sounded almost like purring. The neon lights of everyone faded out, Tigretta's cat eyes being the last to fade completely.

The summer day came back after the song ended. Tigger was on the ground, his tail in the air and his hands covering his eyes. "So, now you understand why I can't bounce with you?" asked Tigretta.

"Uh... no, not really. You just said that bouncing was forbidden. You never said _why,_" said Tigger. Tigretta growled and went inside, slamming the door harshly behind her.

Winnie, the pooh bear, came up to Tigger with Pooh and said, "There, there, Tigger, Tigretta just needs time to adjust to this new home. It was really hard for all of us back where we came from, but I think... between you and me..." she pulled Tigger close so she could whisper. "Tigretta has had it the hardest of all." Winnie went inside, along with the rest of Tigretta's friends, leaving Tigger alone with Pooh, who had managed to get some honey from Winnie.

"I just don't understand. How could a tigger not like bouncing?" asked Tigger sadly. He went over to a stump and assumed "The Thinker" pose.

"Perhaps we could throw Tigretta and her friends a party to welcome them to the neighborhood. Then, maybe she won't feel so out of place," said Pooh, while snacking on his honey.

"That's it, buddy boy! We'll throw a party! We'll have balloons, and cake, and all sorts of things! Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo! I have to talk to Rabbit. We only have so much time! Thanks for the idea, buddy boy! TTFN, Ta, Ta, for now! Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo!" Tigger bounced away happily toward Rabbit's house.

"You're welcome, Tigger!" Pooh said to his friend, waving. "Now if I only knew what the idea was..." Pooh walked away, trying to remember what he had forgot.

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**Now this is Winnie the Pooh! :) I hope you guys like it and keep reading and reviewing, thanks :D**

**P.S. I wrote the song, did you guys like it? It seemed Winnie the Pooh-ish to me :D**


	3. Chapter 3: Strange Feelings

Chapter 3: Strange Feelings

Tigretta

I shudder at the thought. Back home, things were so out of control. The only logical solution was to lay myself on the line to protect my friends, but what does that give me? It leaves me scarred and takes away the greatest joy life had ever given to me. Home made me hate parties and _bouncing_ because they were corrupt.

Jagulars are womanizers. There is no escaping that fact. Male jagulars take great pride in _bouncing_ women. Naturally, I was a target... and a victim. Of course, now that my friends and I are in a more peaceful setting with no darkness, I have to keep quiet about what transpired back home.

I was washing the dishes in our new home. It was a great time to _relieve_ stress, but it also brought _on_ stress as memories flooded back to my mind. I stifled the tears that were threatening to fall from my eyes. I keep telling myself the same things I tell myself when remembering home: _It was not my fault, there was nothing I could do, it was the only way._ Yet, I can't help but wonder sometimes... was it? Was giving in the only way to save my friends? I didn't know.

A knock came to the door and I shook my hands free of water. I wiped them on my apron as I went to answer the door. I didn't allow anyone else to answer the door because of... events back home.

When I answered the door, it was Tigger. "Hiya, Miss Tigretta. My friends and I are throwing a party tonight as a sort of welcome to the woods thing. Won't you please come?"

"A party?" I couldn't count the number of _parties_ I went to that went horribly wrong. I would wake up the following morning with blood on myself or blood surrounding me or I would have to watch somebody get carted away... in a big black bag. "I believe I would rather not, but thank you for the _kind_ invitation." I went to close the door, but Tigger stopped it with his hand.

"Oh, please, Tigretta. I'm awfully sorry for what happened earlier. I just want you to fit in as well as everyone else. I think that maybe... we could... you know... be friends?" he looked at me with deep, innocent eyes and I couldn't help believing him.

"Should I want to come to this party with my friends, at what time should we come?"

"I... that is, we, were thinking 8:00, at Rabbit's house. Is that good with you?"

"8:00... I think we're free tonight. We'll see you there."

"That's great, well, TTFN, ta, ta, for now!" He waved and bounced off. I watched him a while before closing the door again. _I'm crazy! I can't believe I'm doing this again! Ugh... I might as well try to go. If this is a trap though, there will be consequences. I'll tie my tail in a knot before allowing anything to happen to my friends._

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Tigger

"No, no, no! The cake has to be bigger! Piglet, sweep faster, we only have so much time until they arrive!" I shouted. I couldn't help being nervous. Yet, I didn't remember a time I was _ever_ nervous. It was like Tigretta coming over changed me. I was starting to sound like Old Long Ears with how frantical I was being. "_Gasp!_ What time is it?"

"Calm down, Tigger, it's only 7:30. At the rate we're going, we'll be done in ten minutes, leaving us 20 minutes to spare," said Long Ears.

"Aw, I'm sorry, Rabbit. It's just I've never felt so excited. I'm feeling all these things I've never felt before," I said.

"Like what, Tigger?" asked Piglet.

"Well, I feel this huge knot in my throat, as if someone's trying to choke me. My hands are all sweaty and I'm really hot. I know it's not even warm outside or in, yet I feel a hundred degrees! My tail's twitchy and I'm finding myself at a loss for what to do or say when Tigretta gets here. I feel like anything I do will mess everything up!" I sat down gloomily in a chair.

Pooh put a hand to my forehead. "You do feel warm. Maybe you're sick..." he said.

"Sick! I can't be sick! If I'm sick when she gets here, it will be all the worse!" I dumped my head in some water Rabbit had in the sink. It was cold and it helped relieve the warmness a little. I sighed in relief. _Maybe tonight won't be so bad..._ Of course, right when I'm assured, there's a knock on the door. I gasped and said, "I'm not ready! Tell her I'm not here!" I ran into Rabbit's room and hid under his bed. I heard the door open and close and I heard Miss Kanga and Roo.

"It's all right, Tigger. It's only Kanga and Roo!" said Rabbit. He sounded like he was embarrassed with my behavior. I couldn't blame him, I felt like a train-wreck and that was probably mild in comparison to how everyone else saw me.

I came out and greeted my little buddy. "Hiya, Roo! Hello, Miss Kanga, ma'am." I waved at them and caught Roo in a hug.

"Why, hello, Tigger, dear," replied Kanga.

"Tigger, Rabbit says you were hiding and you were feeling funny. Are you okay?" asked Roo.

"Okay?" I laughed. "I'm a Tigger, ain't I? I'm better than okay! I'm..." I was cut short by the clock chiming 8:00. "I'm hiding!" Rabbit, Pooh, Piglet, and Eeyore grabbed me and tried to force me out into the room. I grabbed the door frame to Rabbit's room. I was totally panicking.

Then, I heard Kanga answer the door as Owl, Roo, and Gopher joined in trying to get me off of the door frame. When I heard a voice I knew, I stopped my struggle, causing everyone to fall into a pile on the floor. I looked up and saw Tigretta, putting a hand over her mouth. I scrambled up as quickly as I could and bowed in front of her. "Sorry about the mess... I'm glad you made it," I said.

"I'm glad I did too... do I smell cake?" Tigretta asked, sniffing the air.

"That you do, come on in!" I waved her over to a chair. I pulled it out for her and silently breathed a sigh of relief. _So far, so good_. I don't know why I had been so worried.

When the party finally started, I began to lose my nervousness a little... but every time I even glanced at Tigretta, it all came back. I kept worrying if everything was suitable to her, if I was presentable, what I would say. I don't know why I felt this way. Maybe Pooh was right and I _was _getting sick. I sighed deeply and put my head down on the table.

Then, a voice, much like an angel's, sounded and I felt a gentle nudging at my arm. "Are you all right, Tigger?" asked the angelic voice. I looked up and saw Tigretta over me, her yellow eyes not as fierce, but more calm. It reminded me of what a mother's eyes would look like... that is, if I knew a tigger mother.

I had words in my mind and they were on the tip of my tongue, but none came out. She giggled a little and took my hand. I was still very sweaty, but now that she had grabbed my hand, I felt something different. It was like being struck by lightning. It shot up my whole arm and went to my face. I felt myself blush and I felt my heart beat in my chest. I stood up and followed her outside. Everyone else was having too much fun with the party to notice.

Once we were outside, Tigretta looked at me and said, "Thank you for this. My friends and I really appreciate your welcoming party. I have to say, I was very skeptical at first, but you really came through... and for that, I just wanted to thank you." She looked at me and I still felt a knot in my throat. I couldn't say anything. She shook the hand that was in mine a little and said, "Tigger? Are you all right?" She looked at me and I was still stuck for words, but I felt like I had to say _something_.

"Oh! Um... yeah. It was a really great party. I'm glad you came. It wouldn't have been the same without you," I said. She giggled and my heart leapt. _Oh, if only I could hear her giggle every day for the rest of my life, I would never be sad again._

"Well, I have to get my friends and go. It's nearly bedtime and some of us get cranky without sleep." She giggled again and slowly let go of my hand. I just stood there. I stood there as she went in and came out again with her friends. I stood there until morning.

"Tigger! Are you still here? I thought you'd be home right now. What's the matter?" Rabbit asked.

As if coming out of a dream, I shook my head and looked at my hand. I still felt her touch there. I had to talk to somebody about this. I decided I would head for Owl's house. He knew a lot of stuff... even if he did go on and on.

I climbed the ladder and rang the bell. Fortunately for me, Owl was home. "Why, Tigger, my boy! You look dreadful! Come in, I'll fix you some tea." He closed the door and led me to a chair. I basically dropped myself into it and sighed deeply. He gave me the tea and I put sugar and cream in. I stirred it and I couldn't shake the feeling I had in me. It was like the time Rabbit told me I couldn't bounce anymore... only about a bajillion times as worse. "Now, Tigger, why don't you tell me what's troubling you." Owl sat down in his rocky-chair across from me.

"Well, Owl, I don't know where to begin," I said sadly.

"I would start at the beginning and end at the end." Advice like this was exactly why I had come to Owl.

"Well... you know how Tigretta was at the party last night with her friends... and how much I was worried about things?"

"Ah, yes. I remember you saying you had symptoms of être dans l'amour. Ha, ha!"

"Entry, whatta?"

"Why, être dans l'amour, being in love, of course."

"Oh. Is that bad?"

"Bad? Why, Tigger! The mere imposition, the mere suggestion! Being in love bad?" He hooted loudly, laughing. "Tigger, let me tell you a story, and I want you to pay attention to this one, because I have a reason for telling it other than just passing the time."

I sat up straight in my chair, but my tail kept protesting with me. I finally pinned it down as Owl began. "I remember this story since my father told it to me as his father did before. It helped to explain the feelings I had. When near a woman you like, you begin experiencing symptoms like what you had last night. You begin wondering what you'll do or say and wondering if it's enough for her. Do you know what my father told me?" I just looked at him to show I was still listening and wanted the answer. "He told me that it is _never_ enough. You begin to like her, but then you'll find that you begin to _love_ her. He told me that, try as I may, it would never be enough."

"So, what should I do?" I asked.

"Well, sometimes these things are as fleeting as the wind. You may feel this way today, but not tomorrow. You may tell her your feelings, but remember, you will never reach the bottom, you will never reach the end... and once you are in, you cannot get out. If you take the step to tell her your feelings, there is no going back. I advise you to think about your feelings and ask yourself whether they are true and lasting or short-lived and fleeting." He folded his wings and stared at me. I certainly wasn't expecting _this_.

"Thanks, Owl, I'll think about it."

"Wise man, Tigger, wise man," Owl replied. I walked out of Owl's house and walked around the woods all day. Owl was right, I had to make a decision. I don't think I had ever walked so long in my life. I just hoped that I came up with the right answer.

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**Hmm... for once, Owl doesn't tell a boring story about his relatives that has no meaning in it. That's refreshing. So, what do you guys think? I'm thinking: "Action scene next chapter with heroes and damsels in distress." Please keep reading and reviewing to find out, thanks :)**


	4. Chapter 4: A Tigger's Stripes

Chapter 4: A Tigger's Stripes

Tigger

After a long time of walking, I finally decided to make my way over to Tigretta's house to tell her how I felt about her. I thought it was worth a shot after all. If she rejected me, then that wouldn't be a big deal. We could go back to being friends... right? Of course, we were scarcely friends now. How would it make her feel if I just came out and said I liked her after only knowing her for a few days?

I sighed to myself. I was already at her house. _Well, it's worth a shot anyway. Here goes nothing._ I reached up a hand to knock on the door, but my hand fell limp. I just couldn't get the nerve. I sighed again. What kind of a tigger couldn't knock on a door? Finding courage, I reached up my hand again and was about to knock when the door was opened by Rhoda.

"Oh, Tigger, what are _you_ doing here?" she asked.

"Well, I came here to see Tigretta... is she home?" I asked.

"No, she went out to get food. She should be back soon if you'd like to wait here for her." She opened the door wider and I stepped in. "She and Winnie left about 20 minutes ago. It is likely that they got side-tracked... that _Winnie_ got side-tracked. She sees a honey tree and there's no stopping her until she gets some." At this, Rhoda rolled her eyes. She turned to a counter and said, "Would you like something to drink or eat? We have some leftover tea and cookies from this morning."

"No, thanks, Miss Rhoda," I replied.

Just then, little Peony came into the room. "Rhoda, is Tigretta back yet? I thought I heard the door," she said.

"No, Peony, it's just Tigger dropping by for a visit. He's waiting for Tigretta too," said Rhoda. She then gave a wink to Peony, something that desperately confused me. It was as if the girls had their own secret code that I wasn't aware of. This was confirmed by Peony seeing the wink and giggling to herself. I decided to ignore it.

Then, out of the silence of the day, there came a shout for help. "Help! Help!"

Both Rhoda and Peony looked alarmed. "That sounded like Tigretta and Winnie. Tigretta never stoops to call for help unless..." Rhoda gasped. "Come on, Peony, we need all the help we can get." Rhoda pushed Peony out of the room and went to a closet to get some sticks.

"Help! Help! Please, help!" the voices cried again. I wasn't going to wait for anyone else to take action. I decided, with or without the girls, I was going to get to them myself... even if it meant facing something as horribible as a jagular.

* * *

Tigretta

The day had started out so promising. There was cookies and tea for breakfast, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, all of nature seemed delighted with the day. I had taken Winnie out to get more food, but if I thought _this_ was going to happen, I would most certainly have stayed inside.

I really think I have grown careless since we left our old home. Any other time, I would have brought Rhoda with me, but no, I had to bring Winnie. I really care for her since she's my friend, but she can be such a bumbler. She had stopped when she saw a pot of honey lying in the middle of a clearing. I told her not to go near it, that it was a trap. Did she listen to me? Nope! When a pooh bear sees honey, they are not to be deterred. That was when the jagulars popped out.

The jagulars were twice our size and, since there were three of them, we were easily overwhelmed within a minute. I would have been fine, had not a particular jagular I recognized been in the group. Once I saw him, all bets were off. We were able to get out two calls of help before we were silenced by knives at our throats.

"Well, well, well, Tigretta, long time, no see," said the familiar jagular.

"Indeed, Jagger, it has been a while," I replied.

"When was it that we were last together... let me think..." he tapped his chin in thought. "Ah, yes, I remember, it was at the one year anniversary of little Christina Jay's death." He snickered at this.

"What do you want, Jagger?" I asked him.

"Isn't it obvious? I want to reminisce. You see, if you remember correctly, I wanted Rhoda on that night, but you stood in the way. You took the fall for her. Some nights before that, I wanted Winnie, and so on and so forth."

Winnie gasped. "Tigretta! Is that why...?"

"I'm afraid so, Winnie," I replied.

"Enough talk!" Jagger licked his lips, though that didn't help the saliva that was still leaking from his mouth. "Remind me of that night, Tigretta. Remind me, because now... I don't want any of your friends... I want _you_." He snickered again. The jagular that was holding Winnie stepped back and the jagular holding me pinned me to the ground.

"Let her go!" called a voice.

Jagger turned to the voice, but found no one. "Who dares tell Jagger what to do? Jagger is not pleased with this." _Oh, boy._ I thought. _He only starts talking in third person when he's getting especially angry._

"I'm Tigger, that's T-I-double guh-ur. If you don't let her go, I'm going to have to be forced to get rough wit' ya." Tigger stepped into the light. He was hanging from a tree branch.

"Another tigger? This ought to be interesting. Jagger is pleased with your offering and gladly accepts your challenge." Jagger let out a low growl and roared his cat-like roar and pounced. Tigger bounced out-of-the-way.

"Ha! You missed!" said Tigger.

"Jagger does not miss! Small animal make Jagger angry!" Jagger pounced again and Tigger bounced out of the way. When he did, Jagger's head hit a rock and he fell to the ground, unconscious. The two remaining jagulars felt fearful for their lives since their leader had fallen prey to a tigger, so they let me and Winnie go, took their leader, and ran.

"Yeah, that's right. You better run! You're lucky I was in such a good mood, otherwise, it would have been twice as worse!" Tigger boasted. I still felt stunned from all that happened, so I didn't get up right away. "You all right, Tigretta?" asked Tigger, coming close and offering a hand to help me up.

I took his hand and got up. "Yeah... I'm fine... it's just..." I couldn't find the proper words to express how I felt, so instead, I hugged him. "Thank you, Tigger. You saved my life."

Tigger was shocked at first, but he soon began hugging me back. He said, "You're welcome, Tigretta. Helping friends in need is what tiggers do the best." He pulled away and extended his hand, which I took. "Why don't I take you home?" I followed him, and Winnie followed close behind.

That night, my friends and I and Tigger and his friends were all gathered around a large fire. Tigger was telling his version of the rescue. A lot of the details were being exaggerated, but it was still entertaining to hear. I had my chin in my hand, legs crossed, and I was shaking my head. _Boys will be boys._

After Tigger's story, little Roo changed the subject a little by asking a question: "Why do tiggers have stripes?"

I thought of all the different meanings behind this question. Tigger came to the rescue though, "Why, that's easy! Tiggers have stripes because they're tiggers! If they didn't have stripes, then they wouldn't be tiggers at all!"

"What would they be then?" asked Roo.

"I wouldn't be surprised if a tigger with no stripes was actually a jagular," I said spitefully. I poked the fire with a piece of wood. "There is, however, another reason tiggers have stripes."

"What's that?" asked Roo.

"It is a mark given to the tigger from birth because of his lineage, that is, where he comes from," I said.

"Won't you tell the story?" asked Roo. "Please?"

"Oh, yes, pretty, pretty, please, tell it," said Tigger.

I giggled, amused. "All right, but only because I have such an enthusiastic audience," I replied. "A long time ago, there were these orange cats called tigers. They were a very cowardly race and avoided any type of outdoor activity. There was one tiger who was different though. He enjoyed playing outside and was not at all afraid. One day, the tiger was outside playing and came face to face with a horrible jagular."

At this, Roo jumped into his mother's pouch and Piglet and Peony joined him. "J-j-jagular?" asked Peony and Piglet in unison.

"Yes, and the jagular said to the tiger, 'Why are you outside? It is not safe to be outside.'

'Why not?' asked the tiger.

'Because of people like me,' replied the jagular. The jagular was going to attack, but the tiger fought back. Each blow that the jagular received because of the tiger gave the tiger one stripe. By the time the fight was over, the jagular ran off in defeat and the tiger had stripes. The other tigers were much too afraid of the tiger, so he ran off. He changed his name to tigger to avoid shaming his family... very few know the real story. Ever since then, tiggers have had stripes... it was because of the bravery the tigger showed against the jagular."

"You never told us that story before," said Rhoda.

"You never asked," I replied. I yawned and said, "Well, I'm going to bed. Good night." I went into the house and went upstairs to bed. I don't know why I told that story. I might as well have told him outright that I had appreciated his efforts... _tomorrow. Tomorrow, I'll tell him._

* * *

**That's all for now. Until next time, please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)**


	5. Chapter 5: The Truth about Christina Jay

Chapter 5: The Truth about Christina Jay

Tigretta

_Christina Jay... I've been avoiding that name for the longest time. I don't know why things had to happen the way they did... but they did. At least everyone else is safe... but I can't say that she's gone completely from our minds. Christina... she was everything to me. She was my best friend and she made me see the light in the world around us though it was so dark. The day_ _she_...

I couldn't bring myself to write the word, still. It had been three years since her death and I still felt like it had just happened. My eyes were stinging and my throat was getting constricted from the tears wanting to fall. _They will not fall. I will not grieve her any longer. I need to move on and stop living a lie._

I heard a knock on my door. "Come in," I said.

Rhoda entered and said, in a concerned tone, "Is everything all right, Tigretta?"

"Everything's fine, Rhoda... I was just thinking is all," I replied. I wouldn't cry.

"Breakfast is ready downstairs, so whenever you'd like some, please, come down."

"I'm coming." I got up and moved toward the door quickly. I wanted to distract myself from the horrible memory.

When we got downstairs, everyone was gathered around the table... including Tigger. I gasped and pulled Rhoda back up before he saw us. "Tigretta! What's the problem?" she asked.

"You didn't tell me Tigger was here," I whispered harshly.

"Would that have been something you would have liked to know?" Rhoda whispered back.

"_Yes!_ Of course I would want to know that. There's a guy in a house full of girls. That is not a good combination."

"He seemed nice to me." Rhoda shrugged.

"You did this on purpose!" I was still whispering, but only just.

"Look, he came by and I thought you might like to see him."

"Might like to see him?" I scoffed, absolutely at a loss for words.

"So, you _do_ like him?"

"WHAT?!" That one I shouted. I covered my mouth quickly, but realized it was too late. I went back down the stairs and noticed everyone looking at me strangely. "Hi," I said weakly. I felt so embarrassed.

Tigger shakily stood up and said, "Good morning, Miss Tigretta... I was just stopping by because I... I, uh..."

"He wanted to take you for a walk outside," said Gina. She was one of the most direct ones in the group. It was no shock to me that she blurted that out. It was _what_ she blurted out that sent me for a loop. _Was this a date?_

I looked at Tigger with a look of astonishment and he started stuttering, "Well, I mean, if you want to, unless you don't, in which case, that's okay, but I really wanted to take you for a walk and show you the hundred acre woodses."

I giggled, and I felt at ease with his request. "I would be honored to go for a walk with you, Tigger."

He was enthusiastic to go right away, but I insisted that we eat breakfast first. Then, I packed a picnic basket for lunch. After that, I went into my room and groomed myself in front of my mirror. There was a knock at my door. "Come in," I said.

Tigger walked in with his hand in front of his eyes and I couldn't help but giggle. I removed his hand and he stammered, "I just didn't want to walk in on you if you were..."

"I understand. How do I look?"

"You look really..." He looked me up and down, trying to find the proper words. "...really beautiful."

I was expecting him to slur the words somehow, but once I heard that, I was entirely taken aback. I blushed and said, "Thanks." He put his arm out for me and I hooked my arm with his. This was how we left the house and we didn't unhook our arms until we came to the perfect spot for a picnic. While getting to the picnic spot though, Tigger showed me many wondrous things that made me appreciate the woods all the more.

Once we were all set up, I noticed Tigger kept fidgeting. "Sorry if I seem a little fidgety, it's just that I've never done this before... I mean, I've been on picnics before, but I've never been on picnics with someone like you," he explained as he held his tail in place.

"Tigger, you're fine, I'm actually having a good time. It was nice to get outside with someone like you," I replied.

"Really?"

I nodded. "I hope you like the lunch I packed. There are sandwiches, biscuits, and some homemade lemonade."

"I'd like that."

* * *

Tigger

I felt so nervous for what I had to tell her that I found every excuse possible to avoid talking. I stuffed my mouth, but not rudely, of course. After all, she was not quite like everybody else. I felt almost as if I had to be different just to make sure she didn't get the wrong impression. I also had to act a little differently since I didn't want to mess this up.

I tried bringing it up, but every time my tongue got caught in my mouth and I wound up saying something else. I finally felt like I really had the courage to ask her when she spoke. "Tigger..." she hesitated.

"Yes, Tigretta?" I asked.

"I really appreciate all that you've done for me and my friends. You've helped us fit in and shown us a good time. There is no way I could thank you for that... they really needed it... _I_ really needed it." I looked at her wide-eyed. It was clear to me something happened back where she came from that made her so... distant.

"Well, I was glad to do it."

"Tigger?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to tell you a secret, something that must stay between you and me. Can you promise not to tell anyone?"

"I cross my stripes that I will never, ever, tell anyone your secret."

"Okay... I used to have a friend who was a human girl. Her name was Christina Jay. She was friends with all of us, but she was my _best_ friend." She started tearing up and I could tell that this was going to be a sad story. I sat closer to her and didn't say anything, so she continued. "One day... a gang of jagulars came to our woods. They... _did things_ to Christina... terrible things that a girl her age should never have to experience. It was from that day on that I swore I was going to protect the rest of my friends from the jagulars... no matter what." Her tears were flowing freely now, and I gave her my tail, which she used to dab her eyes free of tears. It didn't stop them from flowing though. "It is because of this vow that eventually led me into trouble and the jagulars did things to me and that is the reason why I don't want to bounce anymore. It reminds me too much of that time." She began sobbing into her hands. "I don't know why I told you this."

"Hey, it's okay. I would never do anything that would make you feel uncomfortable or scared or sad." She threw her arms around my neck and continued sobbing. I was shocked at first, but soon returned the hug and let her sob it all out.

"Tigger?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for caring. You're the first in a long time that has cared about how I truly felt."

I scratched the back of my neck, nervous, and said, "Yeah, well..." I cleared my throat. "Tigretta?"

"Yeah, Tigger?"

"These past few days with you have made me realize something about myself... something different and unexpected. It has made me realize just how much you mean to me. I know I've only known you a few days, but I like you, Tigretta."

She looked at me with wide eyes and pulled away quickly. "Don't play me, Tigger. Why did you _really_ want me to come out here with you?"

"Tigretta, really... I _like_ you... a lot. I can't speak, I can't stand, I can't do anything as well as I used to and it's all because every time I get that way... I'm around you. Please, Tigretta, don't move away. If you left... a small piece of me would leave too... and I would never be the same."

I noticed Tigretta blush. "Well, Tigger, the truth is... I like you too." She smiled at me and I laughed in triumph. I pulled her close in a hug, picked her off her feet, and twirled her around.

"Would you like to give this a try?" I asked as I put her down.

She giggled, that sweet giggle I loved so much about her, and said, "I would like that, very much, Tigger." I extended my hand to her and she took it. We held hands the entire way back to her house.

* * *

**Here's the new chapter of Striped Life, I hope this makes it more clear what happened to Tigretta in her past and why she can't, in as much joy as she had before, bounce. I also hope you guys liked it and will continue to read and review :)**


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